A team of WHO experts has landed in Tehran, Iran, to support the ongoing response to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the country.

 

The team will work with health authorities and other stakeholders to review ongoing readiness and response efforts, visit designated health facilities, laboratories and points of entry, and provide technical guidance.

 

Overall, the objectives of the mission are to: identify transmission dynamics and at-risk populations; provide guidance on strengthening and scaling up the response to the ongoing outbreak, including agreement on priority control measures; and provide guidance on strengthened readiness for areas not yet affected by the outbreak.

 

As of March 2, 1,501 COVID-19 cases, including 66 deaths, have been reported in the country. According to the health ministry spokesperson, in total, 291 people have already been discharged from hospitals after regaining their health, said a WHO statement.

 

Cases with a travel history to Iran have also been reported from Afghanistan, Canada, Lebanon, Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Qatar and the UAE.

 

The plane carrying the technical team members also contained a shipment of medical supplies and protective equipment to support over 15,000 health care workers, as well as enough laboratory kits enough to test and diagnose nearly 100,000 people.

 

WHO expressed its gratitude to the UAE government for providing the chartered plane that enabled WHO to successfully allow its team and medical supplies to travel to Iran, it said. - TradeArabia News Service